European Solidarity Corps

23.3.2017

Question for oral answer O-000022/2017
to the Commission
Rule 128
Thomas Händel, on behalf of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

On 7 December 2016, the Commission adopted a Communication on ‘a European Solidarity Corps’ (COM(2016)0942). This followed President Juncker’s statement during his State of the Union speech on 14 September 2016 that: ‘By voluntarily joining the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), these young people will be able to develop their skills and get not only work but also invaluable human experience.’

In this Communication, the Commission states that ‘the European Solidarity Corps will bring together two complementary strands: volunteering and occupational’. The occupational strand touches upon subjects that fall directly within the EMPL Committee’s areas of competence. The EMPL Committee would therefore like to ask the Commission:

1. How does it intend to differentiate between volunteering, which can provide very valuable experience but is unpaid, and traineeships or apprenticeships, which should be paid? How does it intend to ensure that volunteering is not misused to replace regular paid forms of employment?

2. How will it guarantee that the initiative reaches out to all young people, in particular those in more vulnerable situations?

3. How will it guarantee that the traineeships and apprenticeships offered under this scheme are of quality? How will formal and informal skills be recognised?

4. How will it rely on, reinforce and complement existing initiatives, such as Erasmus+ and the Youth Guarantee, and not replace them? Which share of the Employment and Social Innovation Programme, IMIF and the Youth Employment Initiative and what additional funding does it envisage to allocate for the ESC, as the existing funds are already much needed given the social and employment situation in Europe? Does it consider resorting to other funds and programmes, such as for example the ESF?

5. How does it intend to avoid the duplication or replacement of existing programmes and tools such as Erasmus+, European Voluntary Service and European Youth Guarantee?